POLICE PRIORITIES

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The Police Federation has tested the Segway Human Transporter and has recommended that they be used on patrols. Standing on a Segway raises the user by eight inches and the federation believes that the elevated position would give officers authority, especially now that forces have abandoned minimum height requirements.

Jan Berry, chairman of the Police Federation, said, “The Segway could provide improved accessibility for officers in locations where alternative methods of transportation may not be appropriate.” If the police decide to use these Pogo sticks on wheels, which have a top speed of 12.5mph, they should remember that the Segway shares one major drawback with a Dalek - fugitives could escape simply by heading for the nearest stairs. (Source: Times Online)

Segway rider Phillip Coates has made legal history by becoming the first person in the country to be charged with riding the upright scooter on a pavement. He was on his way to do some shopping when he was flagged down by a police officer and told he was breaking the law. He was later interviewed and charged with riding a motor vehicle on the pavement under the Highways Act 1835. Mr Coates denied the charge at Barnsley Magistrates Court, paving the way for the first defended prosecution of a Segway rider in the UK.

Segway supporters, including former Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik, hope it will establish its position in law. Currently the Government classes the futuristic machines as motor vehicle and advises they cannot be used anywhere except on private land. But despite seven years of consultations it has not issued legislation on them. Mr Coates, a factory worker, from Barnsley, bought the Segway after trying one out during a holiday in Florida.

He said, "I've used it ever since for going to work and for trips into Barnsley. They are perfectly safe and I've even let my mum, who is 86 , have a go on it. I have been stopped by the police before but they just said they were making inquiries and I never heard anything more from them. That's why I was stunned when I was stopped again and told I had to go to the police station for an interview. I couldn't believe it when they said I would be charged."

Segway scooters cost around £5,000 and are legal in 44 US states as well as in Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Portugal and the Czech Republic. Mr. Opik has championed the Segway and has even tried to get himself arrested. Solicitor Victoria Molloy who is representing Mr Coates said the case would challenge the machine's designation as a motor vehicle. She added, "Hopefully it will go some way to providing a basis for legal regulation in the UK. Until now no one has ever been charged with an offence in order for this to be challenged by law."

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said, "South Yorkshire police have charged a man with driving a motor vehicle on the pavement and the file has been passed to us to prosecute." In its guidance the Department of Transport says it would be 'difficult' for scooters such as Segways to meet standards required to be classified as road vehicles. Segways are not included in the same category as bicycles as they cannot be pedalled.

A spokesman for the Department of Transport added, "The safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists is our primary concern. The Segway doesn't currently meet basic safety standards for use on UK roads, for example an absence of lights and indicators. Current legislation restricts Segways use in the UK to private land such as airports and shopping malls. We would require robust evidence to support the benefits and further consideration of the risks posed to users and others before reviewing this." (Source: Daily Mail, Jul/10)

Bureaucracy and low-level tasks are stopping police from concentrating on investigating crime and dealing with offenders. Bob Quick, head of Surrey Police, said only between 10% and 20% of officers' time was spent on 'higher order tasks which are vital to public confidence'. "On average, 30% of officers' time is spent on bureaucracy or clerical work," Surrey Police said in a statement. The comments came a week after Nottinghamshire's chief constable, Steve Green, said his force was not able to cope with the number of murders in the county because of the administrative workload faced by officers. In response to Mr Green's claim, Home Secretary Charles Clarke plans to sack him.

In July I got caught by a Gatso speed camera doing 36 in a 30mph area. Eighteen years of endorsement free driving with no accidents and I’m hit with a £60 fine and 3 penalty points. Ten quid for every 1 mph I was over the limit on a road which was empty. There were two blokes in suits standing next to a phone box, next thing I know, out comes Mr Plod from behind the phone box wearing a florescent green jacket putting his hand in the air for me to stop. I found myself apologising at first, but then I started thinking while he was writing my ticket. I reminded him that he is supposed to be on view. His reply was, “I’m wearing this bright coat.” I answered back with, “And I’m supposed to see through aluminium phone boxes, am I?” He then said to me, “We have had people complaining about speeding drivers.” I glared at him and said, “We've had people complaining about their cars and bikes being stolen, it’s a shame you don’t put so much effort into catching them!”

So there we have it, I pay my road tax for my vehicle and pay my council tax which funds the police and now they are robbing me on the way to work where funny enough I pay income tax for their salaries too. Yet there is Mr joyrider lying in his sack after another night racing another persons pride and joy and then torching it, not even worried about the licence he hasn’t got, living on his dole money with the housing benefit looking after his roof. Ok, I appreciate I’m in the wrong for breaking the speed limit but what’s gone wrong? Police gone soft, can’t catch anybody if they are a car thief or a house burglar. Shame these days if anything gets stolen from your property, they’ll just give you an incident number and the thieving mongrel gets away again. Yet, being a law abiding citizen you get robbed £60 just for going slightly over the speed limit. (Source: The Weekly Gripe)

The Chief Constable of North Wales, Richard Brunstrom, plans to stop older motorists and give them roadside reflex tests. Cops will use a hand-held machine which flashes up images and drivers must respond to them by hitting a push button. The speed of their reactions will determine if they pass or fail. Anyone who fails could be fined or stripped of their licence on the spot. Mr Brunstrom, who wants the number of speed cameras nationwide tripled, said the move would be a “sea-change in road policing”. Nigel Humphries of the Association of British Drivers said, “This is just the latest barmy idea from the Mad Mullah of Traffic Taliban.” Mr Brunstrom has been under fire for months over his anti-car policies. His force, which issued 4,200 speeding tickets in a month, solved just six per cent of burglaries in the same period.

A shocked 15-year-old fought off a man who tried to force her into his car. She fled home and her parents took her to a police station in Caernarfon, North Wales. As she told of her nightmare ordeal an officer said, “We’re very busy. Can you come back later?” She and her stunned parents returned after an hour but were sent away AGAIN. The girl was finally interviewed the next day. Her furious father said, “There were not enough police on duty. No one even went to look for the car.” A spokesman said, “An officer concluded that no danger was posed to the girl.”

Gordon MacKillop faces possible prosecution over a glowing garden gnome on display in his garden. He was woken in the night by two police officers who warned him that the solar-powered gnome, dressed in full police uniform, was offensive to his neighbours. They served him with a notice under the Protection From Harassment Act 1997 for "placing a garden gnome with intent to cause harassment to Mr John McLean".

The notice also accuses Mr MacKillop of intimidating potential buyers of former policeman Mr McLean's £209,000 cottage in Treovis, near Liskeard, Cornwall, and warns him that he could be arrested and prosecuted. Mr McLean told officers that the garden gnome, who comes complete with police dog and solar light and costs £13.99, was in an "annoying position".

Mr MacKillop said he had bought the offending object at a supermarket in a bid to deter criminals after his motorcycle was stolen from his drive. He said, "I happened to be walking through a local superstore. It was the only type of solar-powered gnome and it just happened that it had a police uniform on. I'm not having the police telling me what type of garden gnome I can have in my garden."

He added, "It's all very stupid but the sinister side is that it says on the form should this type of behaviour reoccur I will be liable for arrest and prosecution. The gnome is still out there in the same place and I suppose the police could return at any time and arrest him or me. This is a standard gnome I bought from a retail store. If they are considered to be harassing they should be withdrawn from sale." (Source: Mail on Sunday, Sep/06)

Derbyshire police officers are the first in the country to get a pocket-sized handbook giving them tips on how to spell. The "Fast Facts for Policing" booklet has been distributed to around 1,800 officers across the county. The Derbyshire force has worked closely with the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) to produce the booklet. Superintendent Gary Knighton said, "This booklet has been produced to help new officers and to give existing officers the chance to improve their report writing skills and the way they deal with victims and witnesses. Spellings and terminology are very important in our line of work and accuracy is key when producing official documents." Derby Evening Telegraph, Jan/09)

Notts police officers have been given a 7,000-word guide on how to send an email. The instructions include tips on which font to use, addressing email and checking for new messages. The 22-page document also warns of the "dangers" of internet use and the risk of providing staff with internet access. Officers have slammed the paper as a waste of money, according to reports in a national newspaper. A Notts Police spokesman said, "The email guidance is intended to support the force's aim of communicating professionally and consistently at all times, to minimise the sending of unnecessary emails, and to ensure officers and staff are regularly checking their emails so they can respond quickly." The documents were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. (Source: Nottingham Post, Mar/10)